Float supported tank cleaning device



Nov. 13, 1951 G. M. CARR 2,574,958

FLOAT SUPPORTED TANK CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1950 w 2 SHEETS--SHEET l h 253 +74 35302.8 ,3 i 8 v I I0 27 v 5] 6 INVENTOR..

-ATTORNEY.

Nov. 13, 1951 G. M. CARR FLOAT SUPPORTED TANK CLEANING DEVICE u w? a yam v 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR Gr-Q/vWY/e M. 6%)? Filed Aug. 9, 1950 M A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1951 FLoA'r surron ren TANK CLEANING DEVICE Granville M. Carr, Wichita, Kans.

Application August 9, 1950, Serial o. 178,513 7 My invention relates'to a device for cleaning basic sediment from oil tank's..,This device is designed for use in the large tanks'having'capacities of fifty-five thousand barrels or more. vIn tanks of this kind that are'used for storage of crude oil, basic sediment such as parafiine mixed with other materials that are in the oil .as it is pumped from thewell will separate from tanks and therefore has been so expensive to i move that many times it hasnt been moved and the storage space has been lost. w v In view of this trouble I have provided my tank cleaning device, which is designed to stir up the oil in the tank and set it into circulatory motion in the tank whereupon sediment, sand and the like stillin suspension in the oil will rub orscrape on the upper surface 'of the settled basic sediment and wear it away and remix or suspend it in the circulating oil which may then be pumped from the tank to the oil refinery or other suitable place of use ordispersal. This process of cleaning the tank will finally leave the'tank free and clean of the basic sediment andregain the oil' storage space that had been lost.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is safe to .place and operate in a tank of oil as the mechanism is one in which'no sparks or flashes of any kind are, developed that might set fire to the oil or vapors rising therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned whose parts are small enough that they can be taken through the man -hole in the top of the tank and then assembled inside the tank to provide the complete machine that is ready for use. A stillfurther' object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned whose source of power for the operation of the machine ,is outside and a safe distance from the tank and may be mounted as a truck that may be lmoved from the tank to tank whereby the same LE 1? 9? e 9,? m m 593ml m 8 Claims. (chessre) I 2 ringunits; one after the other in severaldifferent tanks. I

still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned that is compact, inexpensive, simple in construction, sturdy and long livedyone that is highly efficient in its work as well as one that is simple and "easy to handle and operate; These and other objects will be more fullyexplained as this description progresses:

Sometimes the inner surface of the walls of the tank will corrode and this corrosion must'be removed inorder to put the tank in bestcondition for further use. This cleaning of corrosion can be easily accomplished by placing water and sand in the tank and employing my circulating device to put the water and sand in a'circulatory motion in the tank whereby the sand will scour the rust from the walls of the tank and leave the walls in a clean condition.

There are many other advantageous processes that can be carried on by the circulating of liquids in the tank, all of which can be achieved by the use of my liquid circulating device, such as separating oil and water etc.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings; Fig. l is a top plan view of a large tank, a part of the top cover of the tank is broken away to show my improved circulating device in working position in the tank.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the tank and showing my improved circulating device, the view being as seen from the line II -II in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the circulating device and associated parts.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a stop element employed in preventing thedevice from floating away in the circulating movement of the oil in the-tank.

Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the float elements employed in supporting the impeller and power driving unit therefor, the view being as seen from the line-V-V in Fi 6 and looking in the direction of thearrows. V l

Fig. 6 is an end view of one of thepairs of iloat elements employed in supporting the impeller and power driving unit therefor. Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified form of device for tightening the stabilizer line.

In the drawings is shown a large conventional circulator steel oil tank In having a cone shaped 3 cover ll thereover and in which is a manhole I2 that is located close to the vertical wall of the tank Ill. The tank I is provided with a ladder l3 that is built on the outside of the tank wall I0 and extends from the ground to the top of the tank and adjacent the man hole l2. The tank I0 is also provided with a second ladder l4 that is located insidethe tank Illand is rigidly attached to the inside face of the wall of the tank It and extends from the bottom to the top of the tank In immediately at the manhole [2. The; tank top H is provided with a njian hole cover,

not shown, whereby the manhole l2 may be closed to avoid rain, dust, and other foreign matter from entering the tank and mixing into the oil therein. n W The tank just described is the large steel tank commonly found in the oil fields, tanlgfarrns, around oil refineries and other oil storage places. In these tanks .is stored the oil 15 from. which the basic sediment it settles to the bottom of the tank [0 and eventually occupies a large percentage of the capacityof the tank Ill. To clean the basic sediment l6 out of the tank [0 I have provided a device for stirring or circulating the oil l in the tank as'above' mentioned.

The Stirring or circulatingdevice is shown in the drawings as having a rectangular angle iron frame I1, l8, l9 and 20 andnateach corner of the rectangulan frame positioned upwardly extending posts 2|, 22, 23 and 24 that are rigidly attached one to eachoffour downwardly extending leg elements 25, 26, 2'1. and 28, the upper pair at each corner of the rectangular frame element I1, l8, l9 and and immediately below the side frame element I! and I9 and between their respective depending leg elements 25, 26, 21 or 28 and their respective intermediate depending leg element 33 or 34. The ends of each pair of float elements are bound together by a tie bar such as shown at 42, the ends of the-tie bars 42 being bolted one to ea'chjfloatieridl Each tie bar 42 is bolted to its respective and adjacent leg element of the rectangular frame element ll, [3,13 and Zll as a means of retaining the pairs of float elements one at each corner of the frame elements ll, [8, l9 and 20 for the buoyant support thereqii The device is provided with any standard and suitably designedtype of hydraulic motor 43.

, The hydraulic motor 43 is horizontally supported ends of which are rigidly attachedeach totheir .2

28 stand vertical and rigid. The frame lll8- lit-20 is providedwith' a removable platform made of a series of planks 01' boards 3| laid edge to edge within. the rectangular frame il--l8- l92|] withthe endsofthe plank or boards 3| resting in the angle ofthe side frame memizers l1 and [9 for the support thereof. A cable rope or some such element 32 is. strung from top to top of the posts 2|, '22, 23 and 2a to form guard orhand hold aroundthe platform 3|.

Each side frame member I I and [9 has a pair of depending leg elements 33 and 34, the rear pair of legs 34 and 34 are joined together at their lower ends by a cross frame member 35, and the upper ends of the legs, 34 and 34 are rigidly atvtached, riveted or welded, one to the .side frame member I1 and the other to the side frame member l9, and the two' legs 34 and 34 are equally spaced away from their respective corner leg elements 25 and26. Similarly the two dependin lege1ements33 'and .33 are equally spaced away from the corner leg elements 21 and 28 and their upper ends are rigidly attached, riveted or welded, to; their respective rectangular frame side elements I! and [9. The end rectangular frame member 20 is provided with a hitch element .36 to which oneend of a tension fcable 31 maybe attached for purposesthat will later be explained. The device is provided with four pair of float elements. 38-38a, 39--39a, 40.40a and}! l.-4 la. The pairs of float elements are positioned one in a frame work 44 that is rigidly attached to side frame elements and 4502, the upper .ends of which are otal a h a shown a .5 to the upper .end portions of the stationary leg elements 33 and .34, there being stop elements, not shown, on the leg elements 33 and 34 for stopping theswi'nging movement of themotor support frame legs 45 and 45a to normally hold the motor 43 in ahorizontal position. Rigidly mounted on the outer end of the hydraulic motor driveShaft isa'nimpellei 41.. V

The impeller 41 is'pr'ovided witharather vertically long and L -sh aped protective screen 48, not shown in Figures 1 and 2 for purposes of more clearly showing the invention. The screen 48 is positioned one leg behind the impeller. 4! and 'the other legatthefside of the impeller 41 as a meansof shielding the impeller from foreign objects that might be carried in the flow of oil 15. that v.will later be described. The protective screen 48 is rigidly attached to and carried by frame elements 49' th'atare attached to other convenient adjacent frame members of the device. The hydraulic motor 43 has a hydraulic pressure receiving portand ahydraulic discharge port and to which portsis attached one end of a hydraulic pressure pipe line 50;. and to the hydraulic discharge .portis connected one end of an exhaust or discharge pipe line 51. The other ends of the pipe lines 50 and 5| are connected each to one end of a pairof flexible hose elements 53a and 5larespectively that extend to the top portion of the side wall of the tank I 0 and pass through grommets 52 and 53 positioned in holes in the wall l fl and continue outside the tank I!) and connect to a' hydraulic pump 54 that is preferably 'mounted on a motor truck fram and, isdrimn e the by a power -o of the truck or 'by anindependent engine 55 that is alsomounted on the truckframe for purposes of making thepuinp 54and power unit therefor portable so it canbe rnovecl from tank to tank for operating circulating units such as shown in Fig.3 er in-H. The rectangular frame, |1. -l8-,- -l920 is provided with a pair of thrust elements A and B hat are identical incons'truction and are attached one to each rear corner of the rectangular frame element l1 l8l9 20a ld extend rearwardly therefrom, .The thrust elements A and Bare constructed as shown in Fig. 4, and consistof .av block',fpr eferably a wood block 56 .that is rigidly attached to an angle iron support 5! therefor, that rigidly attached, bolted, to one end of anadjustab'le'two, piece leg 58- -59, the other end of which is rigidly attached to hanger element '60 that is rigidly attached to its respective frame leg element 25 or. 26. The leg part 58 has an elongated slot 60... therein through which bolts 6| that are carriedby the leg portion 59v pass, andnuts 52 are threaded on the bolts iii to rigidly, bind and hold the. two leg parts 58 and 59 in a longitudinally adjusted position. The thrust blocks 55 are adapted to bear against the wall It] of the tank, and by lengthening or shortening the thrust legs 58-55. the position of the frame element Il7l8+l9-2n can be adjusted to align the drivingforce of the impeller either on or to either side of the diameter line of the tank as the push of the impeller 41 pushes the frame andthrustblocks 56 rearwardly against thetank wall It. V H

After the oil I 5 in the tank lllghas been set in circulatory motion and'the impeller has been stopped, the circulatory movement of the oil l5 will have a tendency to move or carry the circulating device from its original location in the tank. In view of this trouble I have provided the rectangular frame member 18 with a hitch element 63 that is the same as the hitch element 35, and to which one end of a cable 54 is attached. The cable 64 extends upwardly to and over a pulley 55 that is mounted at the top of, and on the wall it of the tank. The cable 64 then extends downwardly and a weight 66 is suspended on the free end of the cable 54. The weight 56 pulling on the cable 64, which in turn pulls on the rectangular frame lll8I9-2il will keep the rectangular frame l'll8l9-,20 substantially in place in the tank.

Tanks of the kind herein mentioned after having been in use for a considerable length of time will become corroded and weakened, and the push and vibration of the circulating device, above described, against the side wall ll! of the tank may jar the wall ill enough to make the tank leak along some of the edges of the metal plates that compose the wall H). In order to overcome this trouble I have provided the hitch element 36 and cable 31 attached thereto as above described, and the cable 31 extends di-. ametrically across the tank and through a hole 61 in the upper portion of the tank wall Ill. The cable 31 then continues outside the tank to and connects to an anchor element 68 that is buried in the ground. Now as the circulating device runs the push of the impeller 41 will push the rectangular frame element l|-l8l925 rearwardly until the blocks 56 engage the tank wall ID at which instant the slack in the cable 3'! will be taken up and the heavy load of the push of the impeller 41 will be caught and absorbed by the cable 31.

Due to the fact that the oil level of the oil 15 in the tank will vary and may be high at one time of circulating the oil [5 and low at another time of circulating the oil IS, the cable 31 will have to be shortened r lengthened to fit the present existing condition, therefore the cable line 31 should have a means therein of adjusting the length of the cable. As shown in Fig. 2 this means of adjustment could be a; turn buckle device 58 in the cable line 31, or as shown in Fig. '7, the adjustment device could be a hand operated Windlass device 69 that is included in the cable line 31.

In Figures and 6 is shown a modified form of the float elements in which the float elements have rounded or bullnosed ends 10. If desired these floats could be substituted for those shown in the other figures of the drawings. The float elements being set transversely 6 to that shown in the other figures of the draw ings may offer less resistance to the circulating movement of the oil l5 as will later be described. Now to prepare the device for use the device may be passed, a piece at a time, through the manhole l2 in the roof of the tank and then assembled into the complete device as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The device having thus been assembled will be supported on the pairs of float elements 38-38a, 3939a ---40a and 4l--4la with the hydraulic motor 43 and impeller 41 submerged in the oil l5 and positioned below the platform planks 3|, and the hydraulic pressure, and discharge lines 5ll--=55a and 5l5la being connected to the hydraulic motor 43 extend to the hydraulic pump 54 as above described.

Now as the power unit drives the pump 54 the pump 54 will pump or produce a hydraulic pressure in the line 55 which will be transmitted to the motor 43 which will therefore be operated to rotate the impeller 41, and the hydraulic liquid being exhausted or discharged from the motor 43 will return through the line 5l-5ia to the pump 54 for recirculation to perpetuate the hydraulic driving medium for the pump 54 and the motor 43.

The impeller 4'! being driven as above described will move a volume of oil therefrom and therebefore which in time will cause all the oil l5 to be in circulatory motion in the tank, and this movement of the oil [5 as top of the basic sediment It will. eventually wear the basic sediment 15 away and it'will be suspended in the oil l5 whereupon the oil l5 may be pumped from the tank It in the usual manner and the basic sediment IE will be disposed of and the tank will be left free and clean of the basic sediment [6.

As the oil [5 is pumped from the tank Ill the liquid level of course will drop, and when the liquid level drops sufficiently the lower ends of the frame legs 25, 26, 21 and 28 will engage and set on the bottom of the tank and support the circulating device so that the impeller 41 will not strike the floor or bottom of the tank and thereby damage the impeller 41.

If for any'reason it becomes necessary to inspect or do repair work on either the motor 43 or impeller 41, some of the centrally positioned platform planks 3| may be removed from the rectangular frame element I'||8-|9-20 whereupon the motor 43 and carrying frame 44 therefor may be lifted and rocked upwardly about the pivot point 46 to raise the mot-or 43 and impeller 41 whereupon a man can stand on the platform 3| on either side of the motor 43 to do the necessary inspection or work. The inspection or work having been done the motor 43 may be rocked to its original position below the platform 3| and is then ready for further use the same as above described.

While the device as shown and described may be considered as the preferred form of the device, it is to be understood that such modifications of the device may be employed as lie Within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Now having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a liquid circulating device for use in tanks; said device having an impeller, power means for driving the impeller and float means for supporting the said power means and impeller, a frame work, said frame work being supported on said float means, said powermeans and impeller being carried by a second frame structure that iscarried by the first said: frame work in a position below the surface of the liquid in which the said float means. floats. the said frame structurebeing pivotally attached to the. first said frame work so that. the power unit. and impeller may be rocked from. its: position below the surface of the liquid to a position above the surface of said liquid.

2,.In. a liquid circulating device for use in tanks; said device having an impeller, power means for driving the impeller and float means for supporting the said power means and impeller, a frame work, said. frame workbeing supported on said float means, said power means and impeller being carried by .a second frame structure that is carried by the first said frame work in a position below the surface of the liquid in which the said float means floats, the said frame structure being pivotally attached to the first said framework so that the power unit and impeller may be rocked from its position below the surface of the liquid to a. position above the. surface of said liquid, a platform, said platform being made in sections and carried on the first said frame work, said platform sections being removable from the same frame work each independently of the other to make room for the elevated swinging movement of the power unitand impeller and still have sufficient platform .to support a workman.

3; In a liquid circulating device for use in tanks; said device having an impeller, power means for driving the impeller and. float means for supporting the said power means and impeller, a frame work, said frame work being sup?- ported on said float means, said power means and impeller being carried by a second frame structure that is carried by the first said frame work in a position below the surface of the liquid in which thesaid float means floats, the said frame structure being pivotally attached to the first said frame work so that the power unit and impeller may be rocked from. its position below the surface of the liquid to a position above the surface of said liquid, a power development unit for developing power on' which the first said power means is driven, the saidpower development unit being positioned outside the said tank.

4. In a liquid circulating device for use in tanks; the device defined in claim 3, said power development unit being portable for movement from tank to tank for the operation of circulating devices as described.

5. In .a liquid circulating device for use in tanks; said device having an impeller, power means for driving the impeller and float. means forsupporting the said power means andimpeller, a frame work, said frame Work beingsupported on said float means, said power means and impeller-being carried by a secondframestructure thatis carried by the first said frame work in a position below the surface-cf the liquid in which the said-float means floats, the said frame structure being pivotally attached to the first said frame work so that the power unit and impeller may be rocked from its positiombelow the surface of the liquid. to a position above the surface of said liquid; and thrust means on one end of said frame work for engaging the tank wall. under. the'push of the impeller in the operation of circulating the liquid in the tank, said thrust means being adjustable to turn the circulating device to direct the line of force. of the impeller on or to either side of the diametrical line of the tank.

6. In a. liquid circulating device for use in tanks; said device having an impeller, power means for driving. the impeller and float means for supporting the said power means and impeller, a frame work, said frame work being supported on said float means, said power means and impeller being carried by a second frame structurethat is carried by the first said frame work in a position below the surface of the liquid in which the said float means floats, the said frame structure being pivotally attached to the first said frame work so that the power unit and impeller may be rocked from its posi-' tion below the surface of the liquid to a position above the surface of said liquid; and thrust means on one end of said frame work for engaging the tank wallunder the push of the impeller in the operation of circulating the liquid in the tank, said thrust means being adjustable to turn the circulating device to direct the line of force of the impeller on or to either side of the diametrical line of the tank, and means for relieving a selected amount of the thrust of the device against the wall of the tank.

'7. In a liquid circulating device for use in tanks, the device defined in claim 6, said means for relieving a selected amount of the thrust from the wall of the tank being a tension element,. one end of said tension element being attached to the said frame work, said tension element extending diametrically across the tank and passing through the tank wall, the other end of the tension line being anchored to-ma'k-e it stationary, and means in the tension line for adjusting its length.

8. In a liquid circulating device for use in tanks, the device defined in claim 6, said means for relieving a selected amount of the thrust from the wall of the tank being a tension element, oneendof said tension element being attached to the said frame Work, said tension element extending diametrically across the tank and passing through the tank wall, the other end of the tension line being anchored to make it stationary and means in the tension line for adjusting itslength, and means for yieldably stationing the circulating device in the tank, said means for yieldably stationing the circulating device-in the tank being a flexible element, one end of said flexible element being attached to the first said frame work, said flexible element passing: over a pulley carried by the upper portion of the wall of the tank, and weight means attached toand supported on the other end of said flexible element as shown.

GRANVILLE M; CARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

